Montreal's Eugénie Bouchard goes pro

Eugénie Bouchard, the 18-year-old tennis athlete from Westmount, made history this summer by becoming Canada's first Grand Slam singles winner. Now she's preparing for her first full-time year on the pro-tennis circuit. (CBC)

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Montreal native Eugénie Bouchard, is launching her first full-time year on the professional tennis circuit.

The 18-year-old athlete from Westmount made history this summer by becoming Canada's first Grand Slam singles winner when she beat Ukraine's Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-2 in the junior girls' final at Wimbledon.

Bouchard told CBC's Daybreak that while she's proud of her recent accomplishments, she's now focusing on new goals.

"I see myself holding a real grand-slam trophy," she said.

Bouchard says making history for Canada at Wimbledon was a special moment, and she said she hopes Canadians are proud of her.

"I'm a bit sad that I'm not playing juniors anymore," she said.

As she prepares for the Australian Open, Bouchard said is training six to eight hours each day in Montreal at the Uniprix Stadium tennis facilities.

"It's a full-time job," she said.

Despite the high-pressure in professional tennis, and the sacrifices she's made, Bouchard says it's all worth it.

"I think about my life and how I've travelled all over the world and done all these crazy things ... and I'm happy to do what I do," she said.